Reset
by Littlefoxylove
Summary: Very, very late post-ep for Sanctuary City Pt. III. Sharon, Flynn, and a little angst in an ambulance. ( I fixed the formatting for Ch. 3. Thank you who mentioned that!)
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N- I was hoping to get this up days ago, but, you know, life. Work. It was just an idea that kind of got away from me, so please don't go commenting on its clinical accuracy, relevance to what actually happened, or lack of either thereof. It's just fun. We'll see what really happened in a couple days. Until then, not mine, and I love you guys.**_

* * *

"Hey, there."

There was a face floating over her. Two faces. A bright light suddenly appeared and moved over both her eyes. She could feel two warm hands over her ears, muffling the voices.

"Ope, nope, stick with us."

Sharon fought to raise her eyelids again, and felt her head loll back loosely.

"Eyes PEARL and I want a twelve lead, see if anything cardiac is going on. If you get that on I'm going to listen. This is going to be a little cold, okay? I'm sorry." Some of the words were directed at her, but she wasn't entirely sure which. They all seemed to just float by.

"Can you tell me your name, ma'am?"

"Sharon." She wasn't sure how clearly she said it, but the man didn't seem to mind.

"Smile for me? Squeeze my fingers- tighter, tighter, okay."

There were cool, gloved fingers on her neck for a moment. "I'm going to slide the collar under her. Keep her head in line. . . Perfect, perfect. . ." There was a squeeze and then the hands over her ears withdrew.

"Roll her onto her right on my count, and slide the board under. One, two, three, roll."

She felt herself awkwardly rocked up on one side. Something cool and hard flattened itself to her back, and she vaguely wondered how she ended up on the floor again. The world rocked again, and she tried not to pay it too much attention.

"Can you take a deep breath? Breathe in. Again. Again." Every time he repeated himself, the cool diaphragm of his stethoscope moved. "Okay. My partner's going to poke a finger, do a blood sugar test."

"Diabetes." One of the boys had diabetes.

Suddenly the paramedic looked much more alert. "Are you diabetic?"

Her eyes fluttered shut again, but she heard Andy's tight voice behind her. "No, she's not. It's- ah, it's in relation to our case."

"Sharon, do you know where you are?"

"Mmwork."

"What year is it?"

"Seventeen. . ."

"How much money do you have if I give you six quarters?"

Six. Six quarters was. . .

"That's okay. Don't worry about it."

"BG is 79." A strange woman's voice this time. The partner, perhaps. "Low-ish, but not so much that I'd think she'd pass out."

"Alright. She's pretty tachycardic. Let's do an NRB with 10 liters a minute. Her respirations are a little shallow. And I'm going to get a line in once we're moving."

There was a brief shuffle, and Sharon suddenly felt a mask slide over her face and pinch the bridge of her nose. She was lifted, felt the air on her face, and then someone draped a blanket over her, and wrapped something else around her finger.

"Sharon Raydor, R-A-Y-D-as-in-delta-O-R?"

"Yeah." It was Andy again. "I'm coming with, so I can talk as we move, if you want."

"Great-" he must have paused.

"Andy Flynn."

"Flynn-" Provenza's voice, low with worry cut in. "Call us. We'll take care of everything here. Don't worry about it. I'll corral the kid."

Suddenly they were moving.

"Andy, I'm Dave, this is Ellie. Can you tell me about Sharon's medical history?"

"Uh, she, uh, it's pretty unremarkable. Nothing big."

"No heart problems, no high blood pressure?"

"No, no, that's me," Flynn said with an unconvincing laugh. "She did have the flu last week. She was still getting over it when this case started. It, ah, really knocked her off her feet. She still has headaches and some lightheadedness when she stands up."

"How long was that headache going on for?"

"Few days. She said it wasn't a big deal, though."

"Was she taking any medication for that flu?"

"Chloraseptic and ibuprofen, but that's it."

"Does she take any other medications? Vitamins? Blood thinners?" Dave watched the screen of the cardiac monitor as they got in the elevator, and was careful to keep his expression neutral as he continued to talk.

"No."

"Any drugs or alcohol?"

"No. Just a glass of wine with dinner, sometimes."

"Good. Okay. Any allergies?"

"Hay fever. And Tylenol."

Dave looked up. "That's an interesting one. What was going on before she passed out?"

Flynn paused, choosing his words. "We- she- was having a- uh- disagreement with uh-" He didn't want to reveal exactly who Sharon had been arguing with, despite his frustration. "And she was getting really into it, which was unusual for her, and then she just stuttered over some word and went over backward."

"Arguing is unusual?"

"She was almost shouting, and I haven't heard her do that in. . . God, years, probably."

"Okay. Hey, Sharon?"

"Mm?"

"Do me a favor. I'm going to move the mask for a second, and I want you to pinch your nose closed and blow out like you're filling a balloon."

As she slowly positioned her hand, Dave and his partner rolled the cot swiftly across the lobby, easily ignoring the stares. The ambulance was waiting out front, lights flashing.

Andy could tell Dave was watching Sharon closely, despite his casual demeanor. He had her repeat the maneuver, checking his cardiac monitor each time.

Ellie stepped ahead and pulled the back doors open, then dragged the cot-loading mechanism out, letting it clatter into place. She left her partner to align the cot and moved around to the driver's door.

"Hop in, Andy. Just sit on that seat up there behind the cot, yep." Dave pulled the doors shut, and the ambulance lurched forward a moment later. "Sharon, how are you feeling? We're headed to Good Sam Hospital, but it's still going to be a little drive."

Andy watched as she shakily raised her hand to her forehead.

"Ooh."

"Still got a headache?"

"Mm." She hummed faintly in agreement.

"Chest pain?" He leaned over her. "I'm going to press on your sternum, and tell me if it hurts."

"No. . . It's more. . .ah, palp-" She took another breath in.

"Palpitations?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He sat back and pulled a zippered case into his lap. "I want to start an IV. I think it may help if I can get you some fluid, okay?" He laid out his kit, talking all the while. "It sounds like you're in a pretty stressful job. When was the last time you ate and got something to drink?"

She closed her eyes. "Tea this morning, and some saltines. I wasn't really feeling up to breakfast."

"It been like this for a few days," Andy cut in. "There's a lot going on outside the case, as well." He caught Dave's questioning glance. "She's my fiancée. We live together."

Dave nodded as he tied Sharon's arm off with a tourniquet. He swabbed her arm quickly and slid his needle in with a minimal amount of prodding. A minute later, he had a bag of saline swinging from the ceiling and running through its tubing in a steady stream.

"Okay. I'm going to see what that does while I call us in, okay? We gotta get the welcoming party ready." He smiled at her as he thumbed his radio.

Andy tuned the report out and leaned in. "Hey, babe, how you feeling?"

Sharon reached her hand out and he clasped it in both of his. "Been better."

"You're rocking this 'back of an ambulance' look, though."

She rolled her eyes at him and rubbed her temple with her free hand. "Mason?"

"Don't worry about it. He's not gonna hold this against you."

"The FBI." She dragged out the last vowel, and he could tell it was a complaint.

"Sharon." He leaned in further. "You're sick. They aren't gonna hold it against you, either."

"Rusty."

"Provenza's got him handled. He's going to call Hobbs, and they'll take care of the kid."

"The other kids."

Andy sighed and smiled. "Don't worry about them right now. We can call them once we get some answers, okay?"

"We've got to get back."

"Hey. Sharon." He lowered his voice. "We're taking the rest of the day off. The week. I don't know."

"We have to solve this case."

"It sounded like the FBI has it in hand. Sharon, don't worry about it." He could see her starting to breathe harder again.

"Andy. . . the wedding."

"It's going to be fine. We've still got time."

"No, no, we've-" She took a sharp breath again. "We've got to cancel-"

"Sharon, deep breath. Calm down."

"No, no, no, Andy-"

"Sharon." This time it was Dave who cut her off. "I need you to take a deep breath. Hold it in for a few seconds, okay?" He checked the IV bag and the cardiac monitor in quick succession. Andy could hear it beeping persistently.

Dave stood up and pulled a locked case out of a cabinet. He didn't look up as he unlocked it. "Sharon, I want to give you some medication for your heart rate. It's close to 200 beats a minute, and I don't like that. I think it's making you anxious, too, and that's just going to be a vicious cycle."

She hummed in agitation and wrung her fingers.

"This is adenosine. It's going to actually stop your heart for a second- just a second-" he affirmed. "And that will hopefully reboot your heart into a normal rhythm."

"Hopefully?" Now it was Andy's turn to sound nervous.

"Unless she had an allergy, this should be safe. She hasn't responded to fluid bolus or Valsalva maneuvers, and those are our first line treatments." Dave spoke calmly and quickly, and Andy nodded as he finished.

"Okay."

"Sharon, you might get a bit of a headache or feel nauseous. It's going to be okay."

She threw one hand over her head towards Andy and wriggled her fingers frantically. Andy caught them again and squeezed tight as Dave pushed the fluid from the syringe through the IV's medication port.

He'd never seen anyone change color so quickly. Sharon's face almost immediately turned snow-white and her eyes widened.

Dave was glued to the monitor, but he leaned back a moment later, the beeping of the machine slowing considerably. "I think that worked well."

"I'm going to be sick."

The medic moved at his fastest yet, ripping a bag from a compartment on the wall and getting it unwrapped, unfolded, and in Sharon's hands in a matter of seconds. He grabbed the backboard and tipped it longside, nodding as she gagged into the bag.

Andy turned to the man in shock. "Was that-"

"That was a normal response. Exactly what I wanted." He reached out to tap the screen of his monitor and it spat out a few feet of thin white paper with the cardiac tracing on it. He shuffled though it, finding the point he wanted and holding it out to Andy. "See right here? That's where we administered the adenosine, and you can see how her heart rate slowed down. A cardioversion."

Andy continued to hold her hand as she leaned back and closed her eyes again, breathing deeply.

The rest of the ride was quiet. They pulled into the ambulance bay, and the the driver's door banged opened and shut before Ellie threw the back doors open with another loud clunk.

The next couple of minutes were all too familiar to Andy. He trailed into the emergency department behind the other three. They moved into a room, other personnel funneling in alongside. Andy stood in the corner, trying to keep out of the way until they got Sharon settled.

Someone switched the oxygen tubing onto the wall outlet and hung her IV bag on a pole as Dave delivered his report to the physician.

"-and this is the fiancé, Andy Flynn."

"Huh?" Andy jerked himself back into the moment.

"We're getting out of your hair. You're in good hands here. Doc Whittaker is the best guy in town." Dave stripped his gloves off and shook Andy's hand. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

The doctor was flipping through the cardiac tracings as a nurse brought over a gown and a fresh set of ECG electrodes.

"Hi Sharon, I'm Maura. We need to put some new stickers on you. Our machines don't work with the stickers the medics put on. It's going to be easier if you change into the gown, too." She caught Sharon's eye roll. "I know it isn't your color, but you'll thank me later. We're going to see if we can get you off this backboard, too. I know it's uncomfortable."

The doc joined Maura, and they quickly ran through a battery of simple tests that seemed to primarily involve prodding her spine and turning her head. After another couple of minutes, Maura was unbuckling the backboard and ripping apart the velcro on the collar.

Sharon struggled to sit up as soon as she was released. "Andy."

He stepped over quickly and started helping Sharon out of her blazer. He folded it over one arm and took her heels as she unbuttoned her blouse. Maura quickly replaced the old ECG electrodes with her new ones, and Sharon squeezed Andy's hand tightly, flinching each time Maura ripped an old electrode off. The nurse apologized as she worked, but didn't waste any time. Within a another minute, she had helped Sharon into the gown and had the heart monitor hooked up again.

While everyone watched the screens, Andy sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart."

"Andy," she whispered. "What if it's not? I can't have you taking care of me and yourself, if something's wrong, let alone be worrying about Stroh and the wedding. That's just too much for any one person to handle. I think we should-"

"Sharon." Andy gripped her hands tightly, stilling them. "You've somehow managed to fit all of those things on your plate. Let me help you. You've been doing a magnificent job of it, but you're sick, and I'm here. I'm here, and I can help carry the load."

She looked skyward, blinking back tears. "Andy-"

"Remember what the medic said in the ambulance? He said that having your heart go so fast was making you anxious. You don't need to make any decisions until you feel better, okay?"

She pursed her lips in the manner that told him she didn't believe him, but nodded nonetheless.

There was a flurry of movement from the corner as most of the medical staff left, leaving only the doctor.

He looked as young as Ricky, Sharon thought absently. He grinned lopsidedly, and she realized that whatever he was about to say couldn't be too terrible.

"I'm Dr. Whittaker, and I'm going to be overseeing your case today, Sharon. I think I know what we're looking at, but I want to collect a little more information from you first, okay?"

She nodded at him and Andy moved back so she had a clear view of the other man.

"I understand you're a police officer, right?"

"Yes."

"I take it you're under some stress at work?"

She huffed a laugh. "You could say that."

Whittaker was confused for a moment, but he suddenly remembered the morning news, and he realized why his patient looked strangely familiar. "The St. Joseph's three."

"I'm the incident commander, yes."

He nodded. "Some stress might be an understatement, then. Are there any additional stressors in your personal life?"

"Yes."

"Sharon, it'll be easier if I don't have to pry answers out of you," he said kindly.

Her mouth twisted slightly. "There is a serial killer on the hunt for my youngest son, and Andy and I are getting married in a week. And we're looking for a new house." She sighed.

"Okay. You had the flu last week? Was that an official diagnosis?"

"No." Andy cut in. "It was going around at work a couple weeks ago, and she had the same symptoms as everyone else." He guessed the next question. "Fever, chills, lightheadedness."

"Did you take anything for it?"

Sharon sighed again. "There isn't much that doesn't have Tylenol in it, so no. Just ibuprofen and Chloramax."

"Tylenol allergy, right," Whittaker muttered. "You haven't been eating well. . ." He nodded to himself. "Okay." He spun on his stool to face them. "I'm thinking that this syncopal episode was secondary to your flu."

"But what about-" Andy started.

"The cardioversion in the ambulance?"

"Yeah."

"So, Sharon, you've been sick and it sounds like you're under a lot of stress, and those are both things that activate your sympathetic nervous system. So that's kind of like a long-term adrenaline rush. You not feeling well also contributed to this, because your body was also trying to compensate for being dehydrated and not getting the nutrition it needs. Your body just isn't meant to keep up with that kind of work, but your heart was trying really hard, which is why your heart rate was so high. The paramedics said it was around 200 beats a minute when they found you. Andy said you were in an argument when you passed out?"

Sharon flushed slightly. "Yes. It was rather. . . heated."

"I think that probably spiked your heart rate further, and the rest of your body just said 'nope!' and shut down as much as it could. Your heart was still beating too quickly though, and the cardioversion just reset it, in a manner of speaking."

"So what's wrong?" Andy was frowning in confusion, and he'd noticed Sharon's face was completely expressionless. She was scared.

"Nothing immediately dangerous. I'll have to do an echocardiogram to be sure, but I think you had an episode of PSVT, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. As long as it doesn't happen again, you should be fine. The fainting won't happen again if you rest up and make sure to eat and drink better. I'd like you to take some sick leave from work."

Sharon shook her head.

Andy turned to her. "Sharon, come on. We can handle this. You need to not stress."

"I'm going to if I'm stuck at home, out of the investigation."

"We can keep you up to date."

"That's not the same, and you know it."

"Sharon, this is your health."

She didn't have a comeback, but glared at him mulishly.

The doc watched the conversation carefully. "If you stay overnight for observation and nothing comes up, I'd be alright letting you go back to work on a limited schedule."

Both Sharon and Andy looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"I agree with Mr. Flynn in that your health should be your first priority. It sounds like you have a lot of people who need you, and they'd want you to take care of yourself. On the other hand, from what it sounds like, you probably will continue to be stressed if you're at home. I understand that. Is it possible for you to work in a limited capacity? Say, no field work and sharing your tasks with your co-workers? Letting them carry the weight for a little while?"

Sharon sighed as she contemplated his words. "Yes."

"Mr. Flynn, could make sure to hold her to that?"

Andy glanced at his fiancée with exasperated love. "Yeah, have no fear of that. I'll handcuff her to a desk and give the key to Provenza."

The doctor raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"You want me to stay overnight, though?"

"Yes. I'm not going to budge on that one. I want to make sure this was a singular event before releasing you. If anything- _anything-_ out of the ordinary occurs, then you'll stay longer, regardless of your investigation. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," she muttered as Andy nodded.

"Okay. I'm going to leave you alone for a little bit, but a transfer team will be along shortly to move you up to the cardiac unit. Your call button is right here, so let us know if you need anything. Maura'll check in on you soon."

"Thanks, Doc." Andy shook the man's hand before he slipped out of the cubicle, on to his next patient.

Andy turned around and found Sharon sitting with her knees drawn to her chest.

"Hey."

She sniffled and rested her head on his shoulder when he sat down.

"What?" He asked gently.

"Everything."

He reached around and swept her hair out of her face. "It's going to be okay, babe."

She glanced up at the nickname and rolled her eyes. "You're trying to get a rise out of me."

"Me? Never."

She smiled then, and he pulled her close.

"It's gonna be okay."

"What if something happens tonight?"

He shrugged. "Then we deal with it."

"What about the wedding?"

"What about it? As far as I remember, everything's ready to go."

"What if something's wrong with me?"

He reached down and tilted her chin up. "Nothing's wrong with you. You're perfect as you are. If you're sick, then we'll deal with it. Together. And the doc said he thinks you'll be fine."

"But-"

"Sharon. Give me one good reason to call off the wedding."

"What if something is seriously wrong?"

"Then we get married anyways. I told you. I've got your back."

"What if I'm still here next week?"

"Then we get married here. It may not be a cathedral, but I'm sure Patrice, Hobbs, Emily, and Nic could make it look pretty damn good."

She sniffled again and swiped at her cheeks with the sleeve of her gown.

"The Church probably hates us right now."

Andy laughed. "That may be true, but it's for their own good. I think it's like how Rusty hated us all when we first picked him up."

Sharon snorted. "God, don't remind me." She reached for her purse, deposited at the foot of the bed. "Speaking of. . ."

Her phone had a missed call from Provenza and one from Hobbs. Nothing from Rusty.

Andy drew his phone out as well and rolled his eyes. "The work wife is worried. I've got five calls from Provenza and . . . several texts."

"Anything from Rusty?"

"No. Provenza said he'd take care of the kid. I'm guessing he called Hobbs and told her to keep Rusty busy. Want me to call him? Provenza, I mean."

"Yeah."

He settled more firmly onto the the bed and she leaned against him, a blanket pulled over her shoulders. He turned the phone to speaker and dialed.

Provenza picked up immediately. "Flynn."

"Hey."

"How's Sharon?" His voice was tight as he shushed the squad behind him.

"She's okay."

"Flynn says the commander's okay!" Provenza called to someone near him. "Hold on, I'm putting it on speaker." There was a scuffling noise, and then he resumed. "So. What-"

"Doc says she was, uh," he paused, looking for the word. "Tachycardic, and it made her pass out. He thinks it was just because she's been sick and stressed out with the case."

" _She_ is right here," Sharon said.

"Commander!" The relief in the lieutenant's voice was palpable. "How are you?"

"Right now it looks like I'll be just fine."

"Cap-mander." Mike still stumbled over the transition from _Captain_ to _Commander_ occasionally. "Sorry. Did they mention a specific form of-"

"Yes, umm, PVST, I think?"

There was a brief silence. "PSVT?"

"Yeah," Flynn said. "That's it."

"Oh, that's not too bad. That's good. They're still looking for a root cause though?"

"Yes. We're going to be here a little while."

There was another lull before Sharon spoke again. "The FBI and Chief Mason?"

There were two aggrieved sighs, one each from Flynn and Provenza.

"They're fine. For all their idiocy-" Provenza's voice raised, and Sharon had the sudden realization that the Agents were still in the murder room. "They can recognize a medical emergency. They said not to worry about it. Mason is just worried about you. I think he'll probably call later."

"The-"

"I'm not telling you anything about the case right now. It's fine. We can handle it. I did lead Major Crimes for several weeks before you were appointed. I can do it again without the whole office going up in flames. Actually, I seem to recall that specific scenario happening on _your_ watch." His tone was gentle and teasing, and Sharon could feel herself relaxing.

"As long as you keep me updated."

"Updated, my ass. We'll talk when you're better."

"Very well." She wasn't going to win the argument over the phone. "Rusty?"

"The kid is still with Hobbs. I told her what happened and to keep him busy until you wanted me to collect him."

"Thank you."

"Of course. Do you want me to go and get him?"

Sharon glanced at Andy. "Do you think we'll move rooms soon?"

He glanced at his watch. "Within an hour, yeah. It'll take Provenza at least that long to get the kid and bring him over. They could meet us upstairs."

She nodded. "Yes, Lieutenant. Please. I'll call him when we hang up here."

"I can tell him."

"No, it's alright. You're doing enough. Thank you."

"Anytime. I'll see you soon." He hung up and Andy slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"You want me to talk to the kid?"

"It would be good for him to hear me, I think."

"I don't want you to get stressed when he freaks out."

"Oh, pl-"

"He's going to freak out. He takes after you in that respect. I'll break the ice and then let you talk." He grinned at her, took her phone and slipped out into the hall.

Her lock code was the last four digits of her phone number, and he quickly unlocked the phone and sent a text to Hobbs.

 _Calling the kid. -f_

Her response was almost immediate.

 _sounds good shaz ok?_

 _It looks ok. doc thinks stress and still sick. told her to take it easy._

Andrea sent the eyeroll face back. _good luck w/ that_

Andy switched over to the phone app and went to speed dial. Rusty was third, after Emily and Ricky.

The phone rang a couple times before Rusty picked up.

"-be right outside, Andrea. Mom?"

"Hey, kid, it's me."

There was a sudden shift that Andy could feel even before Rusty spoke.

"Mom?" HIs voice had gone up.

"It's okay. I just borrowed her phone." Sort of.

"Is she okay? You never borrow her phone."

"Yeah, she's fine." Andy paused to choose his words. "She passed out at-"

"What?!"

"She's fine now."

"Where are-"

"Provenza's coming to pick you up. We went to the hospital, but the doc thinks she's okay, just overworked from being sick and all. You want to talk to-"

"Yeah."

"Hey kid, take a deep breath and calm down before you talk to her, okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure."

Andy stepped back into the room. Sharon was on her side and already looked half-asleep. "The kid."

She reached for the phone and tucked it against her ear. "Hey, honey."

"Mom!" He couldn't keep the panic out of his voice.

"Hey, it's okay."

"Are you okay?"

"I think so. Just worn out. It's been a busy day." She smiled faintly as Andy smoothed her hair back.

"Okay." She could hear him pacing. "Um, do you need anything from home?"

She paused. "That would actually be very nice. It sounds like I'm staying the night here."

"Really?"

"Yes, just so they can watch me. It's okay."

"Okay."

"Do you know where my overnight bag is? In the trunk of the car?"

"Your work car or the silver one?"

"The silver one. You still have the spare keys?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. It's parked in the garage, in the usual place."

"Next to Provenza's car?"

"Mmhmm."

"Okay. I'll get it. Oh, does Flynn need anything?"

Sharon looked up at the man. He looked as tired as she felt. "No. He's going to go home tonight."

He frowned. "Sharon."

"No, you need to rest, too." She turned her attention back to the phone. "Thank you, honey. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

"You're sure you're okay?" The words burst out just before he hung up.

"I'm going to be fine, honey."

There was a scuffle, and she realized he was nodding.

"Okay. Okay, I'll see you soon."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N- First of all, thank you for all the likes and reviews! It's amazing. (: Also, just to reiterate, I'm not going for clinical accuracy here lol. This is fiction, based loosely off my own experience and an hour of research. Some people were also asking about "PEARL" vs "PERRLA" and "PERRL." PEARL is "pupils equal, accommodating, reactive to light." I think most variations of the acronym are all essentially making the same point; the ambulance service I work for just uses PEARL, so I did, too. About the one-size-fits all: true story. They also have a plug in for a hose to blow warm air. Very bizarre feeling to wear one haha._**

Provenza insisted on parking the car before letting Rusty out.

"Kid, you don't know the innards of a hospital like I do. You'll get to the Commander faster if you wait five minutes for me."

Rusty turned and hefted Sharon's bag out of the backseat and settled it in his lap. He had found it in the trunk like she'd said, nestled over a locked case that supposedly held the legendary bean-bag gun. It was heavier than he'd expected, but, knowing his mother, she had prepared for everything.

Provenza parked, and led the way inside. He knew where the front desk was, and made a beeline, pulling his badge out of his pocket.

"We're looking for Sharon Raydor. She was brought in by ambulance about two hours ago."

The man behind the desk looked surprised for a second. "Are you family?"

"Yeah. This is her son."

The man looked over their IDs and passed them back. "Go to the blue elevators at the end of the hall and go to the eleventh floor. Room 1117."

Rusty fought not to run down the halls and kept himself in step with the older Lieutenant. It seemed like an eon before an elevator reached them and began its ascent again.

Provenza rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "She's okay."

Rusty nodded slowly. "I don't like it."

"I don't think you're necessarily supposed to like it when someone in your family is sick."

"Just, first Flynn, then her. I just. . ." he grimaced.

"I know, kid."

They rode the rest of the way in silence.

The elevator doors slid open, and Rusty jumped out before deciding to wait again. Provenza stepped past him and gestured to the left, towards the nurses' station.

"Flynn's old room was that way and I think hers is close to the same number, if I remember correctly. We should check in with the nurses, as well."

It took but a few seconds to speak with someone at the desk who pointed them further down the hall. Rusty paused outside the door until Provenza nudged him forward.

Flynn jumped up from his chair as soon as the door opened and pressed a finger to his lips. The room was awash with sunlight, and there were quiet beeps echoing around, but Sharon was sprawled across the bed, asleep.

"She kept getting worked up, so they gave her a sedative before the MRI. She's been out since they brought her back. I think she needs the sleep," Flynn whispered. "She's been doing fine, though."

Rusty nodded and set her bag down in the corner.

"Tell you what," Provenza said quietly. "Flynn and I are going to make a run to the cafeteria and pick up the lunch everyone has missed, and you can have a minute with her." He wasn't sure if the boy needed a few minutes for himself or not, but he figured it couldn't hurt.

"Sounds good."

Rusty waited until the door quietly clicked shut, then shucked his jacket and tossed it over the pullout sofa with Flynn's jacket and tie. Sharon's clothes were neatly folded nearby.

The woman herself had pulled her blanket nearly up to her chin. Rusty could still see IV tubing and several multicolored wires snaking under its hem, though. She looked more peaceful that he'd seen in a while.

He settled in the chair closest to the bed. It didn't make much noise, but Sharon stirred slightly.

"Andy?" She mumbled.

"No, it's just me. He's getting some food with Provenza."

"Rusty."

"Yeah." He couldn't think of any wise comment to say.

"Oh, you didn't have to come." She was still half-asleep. She took a deep breath and stretched.

"Mom. Of course I was going to come."

She smiled as she sat up. "I'm feeling much better now."

"Provenza said you passed out at work?"

She glanced away for a moment. "I did. It seems like the general conclusion is that I should take sick leave if I get the flu again and not work overtime on a triple missing persons."

He got the feeling she was playing it down, but he let her be. "I brought your bag."

"Oh, thank you. I think they'd prefer if I wear the gown, but I'd kill for something to wear under it." She plucked at the fabric, and Rusty had to laugh. She was nearly swimming in it, and he was sure the back probably gapped no matter how tightly she tied it. "I asked if there was anything smaller and they said it was one size fits all."

"I'll make sure to take a picture for Andrea. She's at least as into fashion as you are."

Sharon rolled her eyes. She reached for the bag, and Rusty brought it over and set it on the bed.

"Do you really keep all this stuff in case you're stuck at work?" She had sifted through a pair of flats, sneakers, a suit and shirt, and an array of toiletries. He had also noticed a book and ziploc bag of cross-stitching stuff. He'd seen Sharon work on it when she traveled and around the holidays, but only rarely.

"Well, I wanted to be prepared to stay overnight at a hospital, as well, but- I admit- I didn't think _I_ would be the one with the plastic bracelet." She shook her wrist at him, and finally found what she was looking for: leggings and a cardigan. Rusty turned and watched her view over the city as she changed.

It was funny, he thought, how people were dying and being born in the building he was looking out of while the people in the cars below streamed by in blissful oblivion. He watched for a moment longer, then turned back to his mother and flopped into the chair next to her.

She regarded him quietly, raising an eyebrow with a silent question.

"Life is weird."

"It is," she agreed calmly. He would keep going if he had more to say. Knowing him as she did, he did.

"I'm glad you're here to be weird with me. If you'd asked me, like, four years ago what I thought today would look like, this wouldn't have been my answer."

"Mine, either. Honestly, I didn't think we'd still be living together, let alone you and me _and_ Andy."

"I'm glad he's here for you." He glanced over, unembarrassed by his confession.

"I am, too."

He reached out and set his hand on top of her smaller, cooler one.

They were in the same position when Flynn and Provenza returned twenty minutes later. The two lieutenants regarded them for a minute, and Rusty's eyes fluttered open.

"Go back to sleep, kid. We'll be right outside." Flynn let his partner leave first, and they took up residence in chairs on either side of the closed door.

"It's going to be okay, Flynn. I can promise you that," Provenza said quietly.

"Yeah?" Flynn blew on his coffee.

"The Wicked Witch won't get brought down by the flu and a murder case."

Flynn smiled despite himself.

"Besides, I've put too damn much effort into getting fitted for a suit with a purple vest to not wear it next week. Purple. Ye-ee gods." He rolled his eyes, and reached over to clasp Flynn's shoulder. "It'll be okay."


	3. Chapter 3

It was close to an hour later when Sharon's new cardiac doctor rounded the corner and stopped before them with a binder of paperwork.

"Haley Colbert," she said, sticking out a hand. "You're family of Sharon Raydor?"

"Esteemed colleague," Provenza corrected. "This is the almost-husband here."

The doctor looked slightly taken aback for a moment.

"Andy Flynn. We're getting married next week, or whenever she's out of here."

Colbert smiled. "It should be long before then, don't worry. Is now a good time to talk? I've had a chance to look over the MRI and the echocardiograph"

"Yeah, sure." Flynn stood and led them all into the hospital room.

Rusty was working on his laptop, feet kicked up on the edge of the bed. He closed the computer and set his feet down again as Flynn gently shook Sharon's shoulder. She jolted awake.

"Huh?" She fumbled for her glasses and pushed herself slightly more upright.

Rusty watched as Andy whispered to her. She relaxed a moment after he finished speaking.

They went through the usual pleasantries and introductions. The doctor finally set her charts down on the rolling table and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Sharon, do you want everyone in the room while we talk, or would you rather it was a little more private?"

Rusty watched his mother look around. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and he knew she was trying to decide whether or not to filter what he heard.

"They can stay."

"Okay." Colbert nodded. "So, the good news is that I don't have any terrible news. It's going to be a little complicated, but your MRI and sonogram indicate that we've caught this pretty early."

Sharon had paled and Rusty was fairly certain she was cutting off the circulation to Flynn's fingers.

"You've got a heart condition. The PSVT that Dr. Whittaker told you about was caused by something called cardiomyopathy. It's when something- in your case, a virus- attacks your heart muscle."

Sharon licked her lips and spoke slowly. "So what do I do about it?"

"Right now, nothing, really. I have some packets I'll give you, but the biggest thing to do now is just be aware. I'd like you to cut down on sodium intake. Your blood pressure and labs are fine, so that isn't a major issue at the moment. I also want you to limit any aerobic exercise. Sorry. I know you're getting married next week."

It took Rusty a moment longer than Provenza, but they both groaned loudly as Sharon flushed and rolled her eyes at them, before interrupting.

"Andy- my fiancé- he had a blood clot about a year ago. I take it most of what you want me to do is similar to what we're doing to manage that?"

There were several minutes of back-and-forth discussion, and as far as Rusty could tell, Sharon was right, as per usual. The doctor still gave her a stack of paperwork to read, and a list of cardiologists she could make appointments with.

"Could I go home today?"

The doctor frowned slightly, then nodded. "I'm giving you a hesitant yes."

"What about work?"

There were mingled outcries of "Sharon!" and "Mo-oom!"

"Commander." Provenza leaned against the end of her bed. "Why in the world-?"

"I want to know what's going on with the case."

"Well, as acting commander, it's my job to inform you at my discretion, and I shall do that."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm curious. Maybe I can get back before you-"

"Oh, my God. Mom."

She spared a glance towards Rusty. He had finally taken a seat, and looked unsurprised.

"Sharon." This time it was Andy. "You're gonna need a physician to sign off on whether you can come back to work or not, because _them's the rules._ "

She couldn't decide if she wanted to scream or be proud of him. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned towards the former, and Rusty spoke.

"The rules, Mom. _The rules._ "

Rusty did his best not to flinch as his mother slowly turned to look at him. He was fairly certain the doctor was about to witness a triple homicide when Sharon curled her lip. After a moment, she smiled thinly and turned the glare back to Flynn.

"Fine."

Colbert chose that moment to cut back in. "I'm going to go start writing up discharge paperwork, and I'll let you have a moment, alright? Call button is right there if you need anything."

After the doctor left, Sharon finally relaxed back against the bed. "Lieutenants, why don't the two of you head back?"

"Sharon-"

She reached for Flynn's hand and ran her thumb over his knuckles soothingly. "I'm okay. I'm going to be just fine."

Provenza sidestepped his partner and began coordinating his and Rusty's schedules. They spoke quietly, but loudly enough to give the other two some privacy.

"Sharon, I can take the day off."

"I know. I just. . . need a minute to process this."

His mouth twisted slightly, and he fiddled with his sobriety ring. "I want to support you however you need it."

"I know." She smiled this time. "I know, and I love you for that. I need to call the kids, though, and my own parents."

Andy grimaced. "That'll be fun."

She laughed softly. "Yes, it will."

"You're sure you want to do that alone?"

"Yes. Thank you, though."

He nodded. "If you change your mind, just call me. Shoot me a text. I'll keep my phone on me."

"Okay."

He leaned in and hugged her tightly, then gave her a quick kiss when he pulled back. "I love you. It's gonna be okay."

She nodded. Provenza rejoined them a moment later, and he and his partner left quietly, waving through the window.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Do you want a minute? When you call, I mean?"

"That would be appreciated. Do you want me to text you when I hang up?"

"Yeah, okay. I'll go grab some coffee or something, and uh. . . I dunno, I have stuff I can work on for Andrea."

"Thank you."

"Yeah." He swung his satchel over one shoulder, leaned in for a one-armed hug, and slipped out the door.

Sharon pulled her phone out and slowly tapped through it, dreading the conversation to come. It wasn't as though she expected a negative reaction from her parents, but she had come to learn _exactly_ what it felt like to have her child call home and say they were sick or injured. She had been on both sides of the conversation, and didn't enjoy either one.

Her mother picked up after two rings. "O'Dwyer residence, this is Kitty."

"Hi, Mama."

"Shari! I wasn't expecting your call until Sunday!"

"How are you?" Sharon worried the edge of her blanket nervously.

"Good, good. Your father's out shoveling the drive. We got a few inches last night, and I told him he ought to hire someone, but he's determined to do it himself. He's going to throw his back out one of these days." There was a series of clatters, and Sharon figured her mother was fixing dinner. "What about you, dear?"

Sharon paused to take a breath, and the silence suddenly became tense.

"Sharon?"

"I'm okay, Mama."

"Uh-huh. And? There's something you aren't saying."

"I'm at the hospital, but it's okay, they're letting me out today."

"What happened?"

"I, ah, I passed out at work."

"Oh, honey. They work you entirely too hard."

"Mama," Sharon said gently. "I'm the boss now, and I work myself."

There was an aggrieved sigh. "I'm going to start telling that boy of yours to fetch you home if you're not back at the condo by a minute past five."

"Rusty or Andy?" She asked lightly.

"Both of them." There was another pause. "Shari, are you okay, or. . .?"

"I'm okay, Mama."

"Then why are you still at the hospital? I take it you've been there a little while by now." Kitty had been a nurse before she retired, and she still read her husband's medical journals, keeping current with the field.

"They said I have a cardiac condition."

There was a different set of noises, and Sharon heard the front door bang open and closed. "Michael, leave the damn drive and come here a moment!"

"Shari, I'm going to put you on speaker when your father comes in, okay? Then you don't have to explain it twice, hmm?"

"Okay."

There was another minute of shuffling and hellos, and then her father got down to business. He still worked- albeit part-time- as a physician in the local emergency room.

"Hi, sweetheart. What's this your mom says about you and a heart condition?"

"Hi, Dad. Uhm, I have the paperwork here, so I'll just read it to you, okay?" Despite having both parents in medical fields, Sharon had never been interested in it. She had a peripheral knowledge of medicine, maybe more than the average person, but not much more.

"That'll be fine."

She flipped through the papers until she found what she wanted. "They said it's something called paroxysmal supra-"

"Ventricular tachycardia?"

"Mm. And it was because I've got cardiomyopathy." She sniffled. It was so much harder to hold herself together when she talked with her parents, which was precisely why she'd wanted to make the call alone.

"Cardiomyopathy?"

"Mmhmm."

"Oh honey, it's okay." Her mother was always the soothing counterpart to her father's blunt direction.

"Shari, why do you have cardiomyopathy? Do you know?"

"I had the flu a couple weeks ago, Dad, and they said. . ."

"That did it, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Shar."

"It's okay, Dad. It doesn't sound like it's too bad right now, so all I need to do is follow the same instructions Andy got last year. I've already been following them most of the time because it doesn't seem fair to make him go it alone."

"My old friend Jorge is a cardiologist, and I know he used to practice in LA. I could see-"

"Dad," Sharon interrupted him firmly. "It's okay. They gave me a list of people I can choose from."

"Okay. Just make sure it's someone you like. Preferably someone who's board-certified, and-"

"Dad." Sharon bit back a smile. "I've got this."

"Leave the girl be, Mike. She's sixty-one, for crying out loud. She's gotten herself this far."

Her parents bickered gently for a moment, then changed subjects to talk about the wedding and everyone's incoming flights and hotels.

"We'll see you Friday, after Thanksgiving. Don't worry about picking us up from the airport. We can get a taxi."

"Mama, I can do that much for you."

"LAX is across town, if I remember correctly, and you're going to have your hands full writing up the reports on your case, if nothing else."

Sharon knew when to pick her battles with her mother. "You're still coming over for dinner, though."

"As long as it's not any low-sodium tofurkey garbage."

There was a soft thump as Kitty swatted her husband. "You will eat whatever she cooks and say thank you. I'd like to see you do any better."

"Mama, Dad, I'm going to let you go, okay? I still need to talk to Emmy and Ricky."

"Do you want us to call them?" Her parents had called her children on her behalf before, when Sharon had removed Jack as her emergency contact and no one else was available.

"No. Thank you. I don't want to worry them."

"Alright. Let us know if we can help, and we'll see you Friday."

"Okay. Love you."

"We love you, too, Shari. Feel better."

When the call was over, Sharon took a few minutes to collect herself, then texted Rusty. Her other children would still be at work, and she saw no reason to worry them.

 _ **A/N- I dunno if Sharon's parents would come out or not. I guess we got the impression they travelled to Utah, at least in the Closer. I also don't know if she has siblings or not. . . soooo leave me your thought and I'll work them in! (; My last set of mid-terms and second to last ever finals are coming in hot the next couple weeks, so I'm not sure how quickly I'll be updating until about mid-December, just fyi.**_

 _ **Worth mentioning- she says it's cardiomyopathy, but then says it's a pericardial viral infection, which would be pericarditis, if I'm working this out correctly. They aren't the same thing . . . soooo, I'm just going to continue running without pericarditis. Any other people (medical or not) catch that?**_


End file.
